Blériot-SPAD S.61

The Blériot-SPAD S.61 was a French fighter aircraft developed in 1923. Designed by André Herbemont, it was a conventional biplane that abandoned the swept upper wing he had used in several previous designs. The French Air Force evaluated the prototype alongside the S.51 as a potential new fighter but rejected it, while the Polish Air Force ordered 250 and bought licences for local production, and the Romanian Air Force ordered 100. About 30 were built in Poland by CWL. Apart from military service, S.61s were used in France for racing and record-setting attempts, and Pelletier d'Oisy won the cross-country Coupe Michelin in one on 25 June 1925. In Poland the type had a poor reputation, and 26 pilots were killed flying it between 1926 and 1931.